A Utah search and rescue team has taken to social media begging people to stop cliff jumping at a popular waterfall after being called out to four accidents in the space of a week.
Grand County Sheriff's Search and Rescue took to Facebook yesterday in a bid to discourage further incidents at the waterfall in the north fork of Mill Creek, known to locals as Left Hand, which is in a beautiful red rock canyon just outside of Moab.
"The depth of the pool below the waterfall changes constantly with the flow of the creek. Jumping from above the pool is a calculated risk that can lead to life-altering injury. It’s simply not a smart thing to do," warns GCSAR, revealing that one of the callouts involved injuries to two parties.
Memorial Day typically brings a surge in cliff jumping at the spot, and after a particularly busy week for rescuers in 2020 which saw nine rescues in as many days, crews worked with the BLM to install warning signs along the trail. However, clueless visitors are ignoring the warnings, and some end up paying the price.
"Despite these signs that clearly warn about the hazards of cliff-jumping into shallow pools, many people still jump and end up with broken bones and other serious injuries."
Posted by GCSARUT on
Though taking a refreshing dip after a hot hike can seem like the perfect summer activity, even landing in the water slightly off-kilter can result in broken bones, joint injuries, concussion and spinal compression. Two summers ago, a man died after misjudging a cliff dive at Olympic National Park.
Water starts to feel more like concrete when you’re just flopping in from as little as six feet high and even if you’re a skilled diver, there are still other hazards – obstacles in and around the water that you could hit, the water being shallower than you realize or extremely cold water eliciting cold water shock.
Cliff diving is considered quite a controversial activity. You can learn more in our article on cliff diving, and if you want to cool off, consider wild swimming safely instead.
